Windmill



2 Sheets-S;heet 1.

(NO Mel) W. P. BADGER.

. WINDMILL. No.. 285,948. Patented Oct. 2., 1888.

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(No Model.) 2 sheets sneet 2. W. P. BADGER.

. WINDMILL. No. 285,948. Y Patented OctfZ, 1883.

INVENTOR 11/ 7 8M ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES N. PETERS. Pholn-Lnhognphnr. W-nhingiun. u. c.

UNITE STATES PATENT V OFFICE WILLIAM P. BADGER, OF MUSCOTAH, KANSAS.

WINDMILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 285,948, datedApplication filed February 3, 1883. (No model.)

To ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM PRENTIOE BADGER, of Muscotah, in the countyof Atchison'and State of Kansas, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in \Vindmills, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

Reference is to be had to the acconqaanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a sectional side elevation of my improvement. Fig.2, Sheet 2, is a plan view of the same, partly in section,

through the broken line w w :r, Fig. 1. Fig. 3

is an under side view of a part of the fan-regulating wheel, showing itsspring, paw], and ratchet-wheel.

The object of this invention is to provide windmills constructed in sucha manner as to run at uniform speed in light and heavy winds; also, toprovide a wind-chamber connected with said wind-wheel, and constructedso as to increase the number of square feet of wind-, pressure 111 thewheel. The ultimate object is; to get a uniform motion from a variablewind,

and with it an increased power.

A represents the frame of the building or tower that supports thewindmill, and to the top of which is attached a circular plate or floor,B, of a diameter equal to three times the diameter of the requiredwind-wheel.

Above the plate 13, and at a distance therefrom equal to the height ofthe required windwheel, is placed a plate or floor, 0, similar to theplate B, and connected therewith and sup ported by posts D.

Through the centers of the plates 13 O is formed a circular opening of adiameter equal to the diameter of the required windwvheel,

\Vithin the openings of the plates B G are placed two skeleton wheels,E, which are made with hubs, spokes, and rims, to allow the wind to havefree egress through the said wheels. The hubs of the wheels E areattached to a vertical shaft, F, the lower endof which revolves in astep or thrust bearing, G,

connected with and supported from the frame of the mill, and its upperend revolves in a bearing in a bar, G, attached to the top plate, 0, orother suitable support.

With the lower part of the shaft F are con- Oetober 2, 1883.

nected the gear-wheels H I, from which mo tion is communicated to themachinery to be driven.

To the rims of the wheels E are pivoted the outer edges of a series ofwings, J, of such a size and number as when closed up to fill thecircumference of the wind-wheel. The wings J are arranged to openinward, and to the middle parts of their inner edges are hinged theouter ends of rods K, the inner ends of which are hinged to the rim of askeleton wheel, L, of about half the diameter of the wheels E. The hubof the wheel L is loose upon the shaft F, and with the said wheel isconnected the outer end of a coiled or other suitable spring, M, theinner end of which is attached to the ratchet-wheel N, or to a disk orflange, 0, formed upon or attached to the said ratchet-wheel. Theratchetwheel N is loose upon the shaft F, and with its teeth e11- gagesa pawl, P, pivoted to a disk, Q, or other support attached to the shaftF, so that the tension of the spring M can be regulated by turning theratchet-wheel N. NVith this con struction the tension of the spring Mand the force of the wind tend to open the wings J, and the centrifugalforce engendered by the revolution of the wind-wheel tends to close thesaid wings, and the spring M should have such a tension that theresultant of these three forces will hold the said wings in a favorableposition 1 to receive the wind under ordinary circumstancesas, forinstance, under the impulse of a wind blowing at the rate of five milesan hour, or at any other force for which the spring M has been set.

Should the force of the wind increase, the centrifugal force engenderedby the increased velocity of the wind-wheel will partially close thewings, and thus bring them into a less favorable position to receive thewind, so that the speed of the wheels will be. lessened. Should theforce of the wind decrease, the decreased velocity of the wheel willlessen the centrifugal force and allow the spring M to open the wingsmore widely, and thus bring theminto a more favorable position toreceive the wind, so that the speed of the wheel will be increased. Thewheel will thus be kept at a uniform speed, though driven by a variablewind.

To theinner edges of the plates B G, or to rings attached to the saidedges, arehinged the inner corners of a number of doors, R, of

such a number and size as when closed to endoors R are hinged the endsof rods S, the other ends of which are hinged to the annular plate T,placed upon the plate B, and kept in place by a guide attached to thesaid plate B, so that the doors R can be opened and closed by moving thesaid annular plate T in one or the other direction. The annular plate Tis moved in the direction to open the doors R, and against thewind-pressure by a spring, U, the otherend of which is secured to orconnected with the lower plate, B, of the wind-chamber. The spring Ushould be connected with the plate B by means of a ratchet-wheel andpawl in the same manner as the spring M is connected with the shaft F,so that the said spring U can be set to hold the doors It against anydesired amount of wind-pressure. With this construction, as the force ofthe wind increases above the'point of resistance of the spring U, thesaid spring yields, and the doors R are partially closed, changing theangle at which the wind strikes the wings of the wind-wheel, and thuslessening the effective force of the wind. As the force of the winddecreases, the spring U draws the doors R farther open, so as to directthe wind against the wings J at a more effective angle, so that the windwill be made to exert a uniform effective force upon the wings of thewind-wheel.

To the annular plate T is attached, by a pin, screw, or other suitablemeans, the end of a cord, V, which is extended in the opposite directionfrom that in which the spring U presses, and is attached at its otherend to the lower part of a shaft, WV. Thelower end of the shaft WVrevolves in a step-bearing in the bottom plate, B, or in some othersuitable support. The shaft W passes through and revolves in a bearingin the top plate, 0, and its upper end revolves in a bearing in a frame,X, at-

tached to thesaid top plate, 0.

To the shaft W, above the top plate, 0, and

within the frame X, is attached a wind-wheel,

Y, made with a closed top and bottom and with stationaryinwardly-projecting inclined wings Z, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Withthis construction the pressure of the wind against the wings Z of thewind-wheel Y has a tend ency to turn the said wheel Y, wind the cord Varound the shaft W, and turn the annular plate T in the direction toclose the doors R and shut off the wind from the wind-wheel E J Thistendency is assisted by the pressure of the wind against the doors R,and is resisted by 1 the tension of the spring U, so that the said doorsR will be moved in the direction to close them, as the force of the windincreases, and in the other direction as the force of the winddecreases.

To the plates B C, at the inner sides of the posts D, are pivoted theedges of a series of doors, a, which are made of such a size and numberas when shut to entirely close the outer circumference of thewind-chamber. The free edges of the hinged doors a are connected bycords Z), which should be of such a length Hasto be slightly slack whenthe said doors are fully opened.

Upon the bottom plate, 13, at the inner sides of the posts D, is placedan annular plate, 0, which is moved by an arm, (I, projecting through acurved slot, 0, in the bottom plate,

'13, and its movements are limited by the said arm (Looming in contactwith the ends of the Slot 0. 1

To the plate 0, at the inner side and slightly in the rear of thepivots'of the doors a when the arm (I is at the rear end of the slot 0,are attached pins f, which, when the plate 0 is moved forward, pressagainst the doors a and close the said doors, fastening them shut untilthe pins f are withdrawn by moving the plate 0 back. \Vith thisconstruction, when the doors a are shut and fastened, no wind can enterthe wind-chamber, and the wind-wheel will remain stationary. \Vhenthedoors a are unfastened, the said doors upon the side of thewind-chamber toward the wind will be opened by the pressure of the wind,and the other doors will be held shut by the said pressure, so that thewind will fill the wind-chamber and will pass through the chutes formedby the doors R, and will act upon all the wings of the wind-wheel E J atthe same time. WVith this construction the wind can be admitted to andshut off from the wind-wheel, as may be 7 desired, and when admittedwill regulate-by its varying force the positions of the doors R andwings J, so that the wind-wheel will be driven at uniform speed. I

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1.' A windmill constructed substantially as hereinshown and described, and consisting of a wind-wheel havinginwardly-opening wings held 'open by a spring -pressed regulatingwheel,and an annular wind-chamber provided at its inner circumference withhinged doors held open by a spring-pressed annular plate, and providedat its outer circumference with hinged doors opening inward, as setforth.

2. In a windmill, the combination, with a wind-wheel, E J, of an annularwind-chamber, B G D, having doors at its inner and outer circumferences,substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the delivery of thewind to the wind-wheel can be regulated as set forth.

3. In a win'dmilhthe combination, with the,

ti ally as herein shown and described, whereby the said spring will holdthe said doors open against the wind-pressure, as set forth.

4. In a windmill, the combination, with the hinged doors R, the annularplate T, and the spring U, of the cordV, the shaft W, and the wind-wheelY, having closed ends and stationary inclined inwardly projecting wingsZ, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the said doorswill be held by windpressnre against the pressure of the said spring, asset forth.

5. In a. windmill, the combination, with the outer edges of the bottomand top plates, B G, of the wind-chamber, of the doors a, hinged to openinward, substantial] y as herein shown and described, whereby some ofthe said doors will be opened and others closed by the wind-pressure,keeping the said wind-ehamber filled with. wind and causing the wind toact upon all the wings of the wind-wheel at the same time, as set forth.

6. In a windmill, the combination, with the windehamber B G D and thehinged doors a, of one or more annular plates, 0, having pins f,substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the said doors canbe readily closed and fastened, as set forth.

XVILLIAM P. BADGER.

lVitnesses .TAMns HAZLETI, J. S. GAYLORD.

